This thesis describes a number of compositions in which the objective was to investigate whether, and how far, the organisation of light can function as an extension of musical expression in the non-figurative visual realm. I explore the extent to which sound and light are compatible as media, in the sense of both being able to communicate a common set of ideas. The thesis begins by placing the discussion in a historical context, with an overview of the history of analogies between sound and light from Antiquity to the 19th century, as well as the history of Light Art. The second part of the thesis describes synaesthesia as a historically developed aesthetic concept and as a field of research that reveals interesting facts about the neuronal processing of stimulations from the senses. The third part forms the core of the research. It leads from a general historic discussion to more specific problems that emerged in my own work with sound and light. Light is a medium strongly characterised by purity; at first, light therefore seemed an inappropriate medium in which to offer plausible translations of different degrees of sonic noise. However, because of the importance that the inclusion of noise has taken in music since the 20th century, this would have meant a severe handicap in looking for a homological relationship between sound and light in artistic contexts. From a discussion of the broad implications the idea of dirt has in social and cultural contexts, the focus is eventually reduced to the aesthetic problem at hand. By means of a classification of three different sorts of noise, a more differentiated understanding becomes possible of the various functions that noise can have. Corresponding forms of ‘dirty light’ eventually become conceivable and artistically applicable. In the fourth part, six compositions and one audiovisual installation are discussed. Each of these works explores different relationships between the visual and sonic component. When appropriate, the various concepts of ‘dirty light’ that have been derived in the third part are reflected in the form of concrete examples. After discussing each work individually, certain practical problems are addressed that surfaced repeatedly under different performance circumstances. In the fifth part I pose the question of how far events that are conceived to be musical have to be based on sonic events. Common definitions of music that describe sonic events as its exclusive concern are questioned and a number of examples of music are discussed where the sonic outcome is hardly audible or even completely silent. I propose a notion that conceives music as a larger field of activity in which visual manifestations form an integral part. The seven audiovisual works form the practical component of this dissertation. As a result of this research a more differentiated understanding of the nature of the coupling of sound and light has emerged, alongside a comprehension of the at times strongly differing views on the general nature of cross-disciplinary works.

This dissertation redefines Los Angeles “light and space” art, tracing the multiple strains of abstract light art that developed in California during the postwar technology boom. These artists used new technical materials and industrial processes to expand modernist definitions of medium and create perceptual experiences based on their shared understanding of light as artistic material. The diversity and experimental nature of early Light and Space practice has been suppressed within the discourse of “minimal abstraction,” a term I use to signal the expansion of my analysis beyond the boundaries of work that is traditionally associated with “minimalism” as a movement. My project focuses on three women: Mary Corse, Helen Pashgian and Maria Nordman, each of whom represents a different trajectory of postwar light-based practice in California. While all of these artists express ambivalence about attempts to align their practice with the Light and Space movement, their work provides fundamental insight into the development of light art and minimal abstract practice in California during this era. In chapter one, I map the evolution of Mary Corse’s experimental “light painting” between 1964 and 1971, in which the artist experimented with new technology—including fluorescent bulbs and the reflective glass microspheres used in freeway lane dividers—to expand the perceptual boundaries of monochrome painting by manifesting an experience of pure white light. In chapter two, I plot the development of Helen Pashgian’s plastic resin sculpture from her early pieces cast in handmade molds to her disc sculptures that mobilized the expertise of the faculty and aeronautical engineering technology available to her during an artist residency at the California Institute of Technology between 1969 and 1971. In chapter three, I chart the origins of Maria Nordman’s ephemeral post-studio practice using natural light from her early works that modified the architecture of her Los Angeles studio, to installations in which she excised sections of the walls or ceilings of commercial spaces and galleries, and finally to her project at the University Art Museum at the University of California, Berkeley for the 1979 Space as Support series, in which she turned the museum building into a container for the light of the summer solstice. The reception history I construct outlines how gender bias suppressed the contributions of women within the critical and historical discourse surrounding light-based work and minimal abstraction, while also exploring how women mobilized Light and Space’s interest in embodied perceptual experience as part of my wider analysis of the tactics deployed by women making abstract work before the discursive spaces of feminism and institutional critique were fully formed.

År 1947 förutspådde konstnären Thomas Wilfred att ljuskonst inom 20 år skulle bli en självklarhet inom konstvärlden. Nu, nästan 70 år senare är ljuskonst fortfarande inte en erkänd konstform eller ett definierat begrepp. Idag skapas ljuskonst av konstnärer runt om i världen med tilltagande entusiasm samtidigt som det råder en uppenbar kunskapslucka och förvirring kring ljuskonst vilket denna studie ämnar att stilla. Studien syftar till att belysa värdet och nyttan med ljuskonst som utvecklande faktor för ljusdesignsbranschen. Att konsumera konst är ett sätt att berika den inre repertoaren och inspirationskällan. De frågeställningar som undersökts är ”Vad är ljuskonst?”, ”Vad inom ljuskonst inspirerar ljusdesigners och andra som arbetar med ljus? och ”Vilka innovationer har gått från ljuskonst till ljusdesign?”. Arbetet är fokuserat till personer som arbetar med ljus och studiens definition av ljuskonst är konst som gestaltar eller skapas av ljus. Undersökningen har ett intensivt och kvalitativt upplägg och har genomförst med snöbollsmetoden i form av intervjuer via frågeformulär, som totalt besvarats av nära femtio personer. Kompletterande datainsamlingsmetoder består av massmail, telefonintervjuer och sociala medier. Primärdatan har analyserats genom sammanställning, kategorisering och sammanfattning. Det är mycket stor spridning i hur personer som arbetar med ljus beskriver ljuskonst och vad inom den de inspireras av. Vad som är ljuskonst bestäms av vem som är kreatören, var den är placerad, vad den består av och hur den upplevs. Ljuskonst har ett stort inspirationellt värde för personer som arbetar med ljus, som applicerar influenserna från ljuskonstens in i ljusdesign. Studiens slutsatser består i att ljuskonst kan skapas av både naturligt och artificiellt ljus, kan vara allt från en liten detalj till något stort och iögonfallande, skapas till en unik kontext, har ett budskap, en funktion och skiljer sig från ljusdesign i fråga om syfte och kontext. Det inom ljuskonsten som inspirerar personer som arbetar med ljus är projekt där dagsljus behandlas eller efterliknas, dess teknik och material, ljusfestivaler och andra ljusevent, verk där betraktaren kan påverka och bli en del av ljuskonsten, verk som skapar mönster, objekt med eller av ljus, scenljussättning och friheten som upplevs finnas i skapandet av ljuskonst. Studiens resultat pekar avslutningsvis mot att accentuerad arkitektur, färgat och dynamiskt ljus, ljusprojicerade mönster, neon och att placera armaturer med klassisk design för inomhusbruk i exteriöra miljöer, har gått från att betraktas som ljuskonst till ljusdesign. / In 1947 the artist Thomas Wilfred predicted that light art will become an obvious part of the art world in the next 20 years. Now, almost 70 years later, light art is still not acknowledged or defined - neither as a art form or as an expression. Artists today are creating light art all around the world with increasing enthuiaism but in point of fact there is nothing such as light art, according to the encyclopaedias. There is an obvious gap in knowledge and confusion surrounding the field of light art which this study intends to reduce. The study aims to highlight the value and benefit of light art as developing factor for the lighting design industry. Consuming art is one way of enriching the inner repertoire and inspiration. The examined issues are "What is Light art?", "What within Light art inspire Lighting designers and others who work with light?” and "Which innovations have gone from considered as Light Art to Lighting design?". The work is focused on people who work with light and the definition of light art in this study is: art that portrays or creates from light. The survey has a deep and qualitative approach and is accomplished with the snowball method throughout questionnaires, which all together were answered by nearly fifty persons. Complementary methods of collecting data consist of bulk mail, telephone interviews and the posting of the survey at social media. The primary data has been analyzed through compilation, categorization and summary. People who work with light describes light art, and also what within light art they find inspiring, in many widely different ways. In summary light art is defined by who the creator is, where it is located, what it consists of and how it is perceived. Light art inspire people working with light who apply their influences from the field of light art into the lighting design industry. The conclusions is that light art can be created by both natural and artificial light, from small details to big and eye-catching installations, has an unique context, a message, a function, and differs from lighting design in terms of purpose and context. The specific parts within light art that inspire people working with light are projects where daylight is involved, the technology and materials of the pieces, light festivals and other light events, light art pieces where the viewer can influence and become a part of it, works that create patterns or objects by light, stage lighting and the expressive freedom in the making of light art. The results indicates that accentuated architecture, colored and dynamic light, light patterns, neon and the placing of fixtures with classic design for indoor use in exterior environments, has gone from being considered as light art to lighting design.

Univ., Diss.--Frankfurt am Main, 2002.

This research focuses on understanding the relationship betweenlight art and architectural lighting design and determining towhat extent can aspects of light art be used when designingfunctional lighting for architecture.The first part of this paper looks into the historical applicationof light as a material. Light has been an important element inart even prior to the introduction of artificial light sources, butthe exploration of light as an independent material throughinstallation art only developed in the last century. Similarly inarchitecture, the impact of light on creating and shaping spaceshas been recognized since ancient times, yet it was much longerbefore the development of lighting design as an autonomousdiscipline.In recent years there is an increased need for creative expressionfrom lighting designers who are pushing the boundaries ofcommunication through light. In order to understand the extentto which successful innovative lighting schemes can drawinspiration from artwork, this research further analyses keyvisual and emotional properties of light art, as well as potentialconstraints of functional spaces. Distinction of roles of the artistand designer as well as the conditions in which they work withthe medium of light pose a challenge in relating these twodisciplines.Findings from first two parts of this research are further used toanalyse an example of an architectural lighting project, to drawconclusions about light art’s applicability to functional lighting.

The surge in online shopping has resulted in decreased customer presence in brick-and-mortar stores. To attract customers, retailers need to enhance the experiential value of their environments. Lighting plays a crucial role in creating appealing spaces and guiding customers.  Through a  comparative analysis of "Normal" and "Rituals" stores, this study examines how lighting differentiates retail environments, focusing on parameters like color temperature and intensity differences. In addition, a case study is conducted on "The Crystal Chandelier," a dynamic light art installation at Westfield Mall of Scandinavia, to analyze how it enhances the experiential value in retail highlighting the importance of dynamic visuals and color variations in creating immersive experiences. Specifically, the study investigates "Outside Insight," a skyspace created by James Turrell in Stockholm, using a mixed-methods approach. The research examines the lighting qualities of Skyspace and its potential to create an immersive retail environment. The findings suggest that strategic use of color transitions, illumination, and correlated color temperature variations can, enhance visual stimulation, and evoke energy and excitement. Moments of color stability promote comfort and deeper engagement with displayed items. These insights demonstrate the potential of perceptual light art in designing retail environments, particularly in the personal care retail sector.

In this paper, I will explore the role of artificial light in public art through a case study project. With the word role, I mean the visual and conceptual hierarchy of materials and resources in artwork. Light is a significant resource in public art. The artwork needs highlighting, especially in Northern countries where the winter’s darkness is inevitable. Light is not only a highlighter, it also tells a story of its own. 
First, I’m going to open up the concepts of public space, public art, light in public art and light art, to place the study in context. The literature review in the first part of the study allows better insight into the relation of light, public art, and light art.
The second part introduces the selected case study project, which is a concept design of a landscape artwork competition, for Tramway art in Tampere, Finland. Richard Kelly’s perceptual theory will be used to discuss the observations from the case study. Kelly’s theory consists of three fundamental elements of visual design: ambient luminescence, focal glow and play of brilliants.
The researcher’s subjective experience in the case study discusses with the documentations and observations of the project, to explore the circumstances and to examine the boundary conditions of the case study project. 
The role of artificial light in public art can be functional and make the space visible; it can be a highlighter and drag the focus into the artwork; or it can be the artwork itself. With the findings of the case study, I will divide the roles of artificial light in public art in functional, supporting and leading.

The master thesis studies the value of light art installations as a tool to raise awareness, communicate messages,inspire people and create social engagement to take action and deal with important issues. Additionally, it researchesthe lighting characteristics that have to be considered in order to create a high emotional response. Three case studieson light art installations tackling environmental issues were selected to understand the tools that makes themsuccessful. The final result of the thesis is the design proposal for a site specific light art installation to raise awarenesson droughts and its effects - following the CLUE competition 2019 guidelines - and create social engagement to fightthis major crisis. Specifically, the installation uses daylight in combination with shadows and reflections, in order toachieve the purpose of the installation. In the interest of creating a strong emotional response from the visitors,brightness, color, dynamics, contrast and direction of the perceived light were used to change the visitor’s perception ofthe space. The thesis concludes with the discussion of the evaluation of the installation to prove how effective thedesign is to achieve its purpose on raising awareness on droughts and the presence of the 7 light characteristics inorder to create an emotional response from the visitors.

“McLuhan’s Bulbs” argues that the 1960s movement of “light art” is the primary site of negotiation between the discourses of “medium” and “media” in postwar art. In dialogue with the contemporaneous work of Marshall McLuhan, who privileged electric light as the ur-example of media theory, light art eschewed the traditional symbolism of light in Western art, deploying it instead as a cipher for electronic media. By embracing both these new forms of electronic media and also McLuhan’s media theory, light art ultimately becomes a limit term of the Greenbergian notion of medium-specificity, heralding the transformation of “medium” into “media” on both a technological and a theoretical level. This leads to a new understanding of the concept of media as not peripheral, but rather, central to the history and theory of contemporary art. Drawing on extensive archival research to offer the first major history of light art, the project focuses in particular on the work of leading light artist Otto Piene, whose sculptural “light ballets,” “intermedia” environments, and early video projects responded to the increasing technological blurring of media formats by bringing together sound and image, only to insist on the separation between the two. Piene’s position would be superseded by the work of light artists who used electronic transducers to technologically translate between light and other phenomena, particularly sounds. These artists are represented here by Piene’s close friend and colleague, Wen-Ying Tsai. In the spirit of earlier examples of “computer art,” Tsai’s “cybernetic sculptures” used light to announce that art would no longer be defined by its material substrates, anticipating the fluid condition of media that we associate with new media art, and digital technology more broadly, today.

My work attempts to articulate how the format visual information is presented in changes our understanding of the visual information and our relationship to it. I explore analog and digital conversions, the audio and the visual sharing 3 dimensional space, and explore our relationship with screens, information and light. This paper discusses the ideas and underlying themes within my digital works that center around light as a form of information and communication. My work is also related to the transformation of technology that has occurred across many platforms throughout my lifetime. The most striking example is the telephone. The telephone has transitioned from an analog device on the wall that we speak into, to the phone we know today; a computer we carry around in our pocket with a screen we communicate through. This transformation of technology has changed our daily lives in ways past generations only dreamt of. We no longer log on or go online. We are always connected to a network of information, individuals and communities by an endless live stream of data. We live in an information super age, where we have access to nearly the entirety of knowledge humans have been able to acquire. Whether by reading by candle light, or a collection of pixels in the form of a screen, we use light to communicate all of these ideas and information. Social media, global positioning systems and on demand services have reached a point where our actions and nearly everything around us is tied to a computational system. My work attemps to bring this computational system into our physical space, where it can be acknowledged in the form of light and sound. / Master of Fine Arts / We live in an information super age, where we have access to nearly the entirety of knowledge humans have been able to acquire. Whether by reading by candle light, or a collection of pixels in the form of a screen, we use light to communicate all of these ideas and information. The format visual information is presented in changes our understanding of the visual information and our relationship to it. This paper discusses the ideas and underlying themes within my digital works that center around light as a form of information and communication.